SOCIAL STORY I’m going to the Nashville Symphony!

When I arrive: Lots of people go to the Symphony. When I arrive, there will be lots of excited people and it might be noisy. People may be talking and it may get loud. It is okay. If it gets too noisy for me, there are quiet spaces where my family can take me. We might need to get our tickets from the box office.

In the lobby: There might be different activities in the lobby. My family will show me the different fun activities I can do. There might be some musical instruments I can see and even touch. Other people will want to touch the instruments too. I will share and let others touch the instruments too. If the people in the lobby become too loud, I can go to a quiet space. After I have seen the instruments and activities, I will be ready to find my seat. I might need to go to the bathroom, and my family can take me there before we go to our seats.

When I’m ready to find my seat: My family will have my ticket and then we will walk to the door that goes to our seat. This door leads to a new room, which might be a little bit darker. This is okay. I can hold a family member’s hand when I walk toward my seat. My family will give our tickets to the usher at the doorway, and they will help us to our seats. If I have any questions about my seat, I can ask the usher. The usher knows about the concert hall. There will be lots of excited people in the hall waiting to hear the music with me. This is okay.

In my seat: The musicians like to have a quiet room too. I will try to be considerate of the musicians when they are performing. Before the concert starts, there will be a lot of musicians and instruments on the stage, and it will be noisy. This is okay. My family can take me to a quiet space if I need a break. When the musicians are ready, the concertmaster will help them tune their instruments. After the instruments are in tune, the concert will begin.

The concert begins: The conductor will walk on the stage, and a lot of people will start clapping for the conductor. There may even be people cheering and excited for the music to begin. If I’m excited to see the concert, I can clap and cheer too. After the clapping is over, the concert will begin. When the concert begins, I will try to be quiet and considerate for the musicians.

The orchestra makes music: The same instruments I saw in the lobby will be on the stage, and they will be playing music for me. The music might have some loud moments, and it might have quieter moments. Hearing music is exciting, and I might get excited. I will try to be quiet during the show. If the music is too loud, my family can take me to a quiet space. If I need to go to the bathroom, my family can take me to the bathroom.

The orchestra might play music I have heard before. It’s exciting to hear music I know, but I will try to stay quiet while the orchestra is playing. There might be a guest artist who will sing or play with the orchestra. I can clap for the artist when they walk on the stage. The orchestra will play a few pieces of music.

The conductor faces me: During the concert, the conductor faces the orchestra. When the conductor puts his or her arms down and turns around, the audience will clap. I can clap too and show the musicians how much I liked the music. The conductor might leave the stage while people are clapping.

As I get ready to leave: When the concert ends, my family and I will be ready to leave. Everyone will be leaving together and heading toward the same door we entered to go to our seats. I will walk slowly and wait my turn to exit the doors. I can tell my family what I liked about the orchestra as we are leaving.